Trey brings out Fab last night at The Garden. Led by Music Director & Drummer Amadeus, the rest of The Unit includes Ralph 'Buttaz' Kearns on Keys, Nate Jones On Bass, and Ricky 'Strings' Ramos on Lead Guitar. Check out the performance below:

Platinum Boy Music: We would like to thank Steve Raze, Mikaila Johnson and the staff at AllHipHop for this feature. Please be sure to visit them HERE

AllHipHop got the chance to catch up with multi- platinum producer Amadeus for an exclusive look at his role as Trey Songz’ Music Director. BadBoy Hitmen Producer Antwan “Amadeus” Thompson is the brain of musical organization for Trey Songz performances, live and in studio. As seen on BET’s My Moment With Trey Songz, Amadeus is also the lead drummer in Trey Songz’ band.

The multi-talented musician and director doubles as a record producer for Diddy At BadBoy, as well as the CEO of Platinum Boy Music. Amadeus has supplied the beats behind mixtape hits “I’m Raw” off of Fabolous’ There Is No Competition, “Ill’in” by Jeezy and The Clipse on Trap Or Die 2, and we even caught a peek of Amadeus on T.I’s F#ck A Mixtape .

AllHipHop: You were recently on the set of BET’s My Moment with Trey Songz. How was the experience of making your live show even more live?

Amadeus: I think the show was a really good look, it was something different. It was a good experience to be behind the scenes and watch the cameras put a little more pressure on us. TV and editing added even more to the show. You know reality TV has taken over. It allowed people to see how it really is for us on tour, without a script.

AllHipHop: Tell us about your recent tour schedule.

Amadeus: Well the “Passion, Pain, and Pleasure (PPP) Tour closed with two sold out nights in New York, and then we had a month off. We’re on the 35 U.S. city “OMG” Tour with Usher now, we’ll be in Miami for New Year’s Eve. After that, we go overseas for the international leg of the tour. We’ll be gone two to three months.

AllHipHop: For those who didn’t catch you on BET, tell us about your position as Trey Songz’ music director.

Amadeus: Well as a music director I’m in charge of every musical aspect in regards to preparing for a performance, whether it’s a show or on tour. I sit down with Trey and we go over the vision he wants to portray. I direct the image of the musicians, song selection and whether half or the whole song will be played, sound… every musical aspect of a show. I meet with the engineers and make the major decisions necessary to keep shows the appropriate length. For the “PPP” Tour, Trey did 10 songs, whereas at a smaller show at Target or Rocawear, he might perform three or four songs.

AllHipHop: How does being a drummer in the band affect your music direction?

Amadeus: I think drumming is kind of the fun part of it all. It’s fun to be part of the band that’s making it all happen. I’ve been playing drums for 15 years, it was my first love and passion. I actually had aspirations of being a rapper, I think every producer or DJ always starts as a rapper. I was schooled by my colleagues on the glitz and glam of being an artist, but no money! I picked up the drums and started creating beats, and I really like how producing allows you to build. I get to take a beat and build an entire song around it and a melody.

AllHipHop: So that leads us to Bad Boy…

Amadeus: Well I was sitting by myself in ASCAP, and needed a name for my production credentials. I’ve always been terrible at coming up with names, but I planned to just pick something and go with it. I figured I wanted my records to go platinum, and I’m a boy….Platinum Boy, which became my production company. As CEO I have artists and producers keeping my company afloat and thriving.

AllHipHop: And who are some of the artists on your label?

Amadeus: Our vocalist, songwriter, and we call her “The Angel of R&B” is a young lady named Tiffany Mynon. She’s had an incredible life, confronting the challenges of a young Harlem girl. Tiffany was determined to make it through tough situations and is enjoying living her dreams, singing background vocals on tour with Jay-Z, Talib Kweli, Kelis, Erykah Badu, and Musiq.

AllHipHop: And of your production credits? You had a spot on T.I’s last F*** a mix-tape.

Amadeus: I’m blessed. I’ve been working a long time. I sat down to count the other day, and I have worked with over 50 R&B pop artists in 15 years. I’ve made a historical amount of records. I haven’t had my SMASH hit yet, but its comin‘. I’m so appreciative of my longevity. I got some tracks comin’ up with Tony Yayo, Fab, Keyshia Cole’s album drops this month, Red Café, Jordin Sparks, Young Jeezy, Kay Slay, Nado, and Papoose. I did this record for The Game, its too real.

AllHipHop: So what’s next for Platinum Boy?

Amadeus: I’m excited about expanding creatively after traveling and the tours. I cant wait to get back home and create.

Platinum Boy Music: We want to thank Urban Informer for this feature on Amadeus. Please make sure to visit their website HERE

CEO of Platinum Boy Music is just one of his titles. From being one of Diddy’s Bad Boy/Hitmen producers to to being a judge on MTV’s ‘Making His Band’ to touring with one of the hottest R&B stars to grace the stage, Amadeus is definitely one of the most talented men in the music business.

After the jump, get details on how Amadeus got into the music business, his role as Trey Songz’ Music Director and Drummer, his BIGGEST accomplishment, working with over 50 artist, and what he MUST-HAVE on the road and in the studio.

1. How did you get your start in music?

I got my start in music early in the 4th grade. I will never forget being absent on the day my class got to choose instruments for band class. Upon my return there were only the violin and percussion as options. At that time I definitely wasn’t going with the violin LOL, so I chose percussionist which included the drums. As I began to take the band course the teacher and I realized that it was natural for me to play the drums. To make a long story short I continued drum playing throughout High School. It turned into producing as well. There was an easy transition with me already being a drummer & here I am years later as one of Diddy’s Multi-Platinum BadBoy/Hitmen producers & Trey Songz Music Director & Drummer.

3. How did the opportunity come about for you to be the Music Director for Trey Songz?

I was in Houston recording & mixing records for Mike Jones and he called Trey Songz to get on a record. It was the record I produced. While in the studio working on the song titled “I Know” there was a drum set in the vocal booth. I said to Trey, “Yo I play drums so if you ever need a live band, be sure to reach out to me and I gotchu when the time is right.” A year later I got a phone call from a great friend of mine, Delante Murphy who was managing him at that time saying, “Yo are you ready to put the band together for Trey Songz?”. It was on after that, when I became Trey Songz Music Director/Drummer ongoing for 4 years now. We are killing stages every night all over the world.

4. What does a Music Director do?

Im responsible for everything musically in regards to Trey Songz shows/performances. I selected the band members and work side by side with Trey, his management and production team. We make sure his vision, musically comes to perfection.

5. Give fans of Trey an idea of whats it’s like to work with Trey?

Its very fun and exciting but also very challenging. Its fair to say that Trey is the hottest R&B male artist out right now. It’s his time and his moment, so the journey has been and will continue to be amazing. I’m glad to be apart of his journey and music history.

6. What is the hardest part about touring?

The hardest part has to be being away from my wife, son & family. It’s rough at times but I have there true support and wouldn’t be able to do this if I didn’t have my family by my side! I am grateful for them. Besides that, its pretty rough and tedious traveling from city to city. Not getting the proper rest comes with the territory. Sleep and I are not the best of friends, so Im good!

7. What is your BIGGEST accomplishment in this business?

I must say producing for over 50 artists has to be my biggest accomplishment in the music business.

What’s up, Modern Drummer blog readers? My name is Antwan “Amadeus” Thompson, and I was born in the Bronx, New York. I’m the CEO of Platinum Boy Music, Inc. Currently I serve as the music director and drummer for Atlantic Recording R&B artist Trey Songz. I’m also a multi-platinum producer signed to Sean “Diddy” Combs (BadBoy Entertainment Worldwide) as a BadBoy/Hitmen producer.

I’ve been playing drums for over fifteen years; I started in the fourth grade and never put the drumsticks down. I realized there was something special the moment I played drums for the first time. It became a passion, and I thought to myself, “If I keep going and studying my craft, no telling how good I can really get!” Here I am, years later, playing for today’s biggest male R&B artist, Trey Songz. Dreams do come true!

To fill you all in on what I’ve been up to, we’re currently on the US, OMG tour with R&B/pop artist Usher Raymond and new artist Miguel. It’s going amazingly well. I’ve been working with Trey Songz for about four years now on numerous tours. One of the first was the BET tour with J. Holiday—then I did the BET tour with Mario and Day26. Following was the BP3 tour opening up for hip-hop Icon Jay-Z and hip-hop southern artist Young Jeezy. Then there was the Trey Songz Overseas tour, followed by the last Trey Songz Passion Pain Pleasure tour with Monica and R&B newcomer Dondria. In the midst of shows there have been televised appearances such as the 2010 BET Awards, BET’s 106 & Park 10th Year Anniversary Show, Fuse TV, Jimmy Kimmel, MTV Unplugged with Trey Songz, plus more. As you see, we’ve been pretty busy on the road working hard. It’s been a long road for me but worth every bit of it.

In regards to my start, being a part of the school band truly helped my drumming. However, I was fully developed in church, the same way a lot of musicians that tour with your favorite artists are trained musically. I love all types of music: rock, jazz, gospel, hip-hop, and R&B. That’s one of the main reasons why I feel I’m successful in the music business as a producer and drummer. You have to broaden your horizons and be able to appreciate all types of music.

For those who have not had the opportunity to hear my drumming yet, I’m mainly a pocket drummer. I definitely have chops, but most times I feel that I’m more effective when I lock into the groove, especially playing for audiences as large as 15,000 people. Normally the fans that sacrifice to see their favorite artists perform want to hear their favorite songs exactly as they hear them on the album. I do my best to give the people what they want, because with experience you learn it’s not about you as the drummer—it’s about the artist. That mindset comes with being disciplined. I also learned early on that being a musician can open up many other doors in the field of music. That’s how I became a record producer. To me one of the most important parts to a track is the drums. It’s the foundation. So I said to myself at the age of fifteen, “Why not try to become a record producer?” So I worked, and worked, and worked, and I’m still working towards perfecting my craft in production.

Here I am today, having been blessed to produce for over fifty artists in the music industry, performers such as 50 Cent, Diddy, Danity Kane, Lil Wayne, Keyshia Cole, T.I., Busta Rhymes, the Game, G-Unit, plus many more. I hope that my story and accomplishments light a blaze in the readers to work hard. As musicians you too can pursue and live your dreams.
I would like to thank Modern Drummer for allowing me to share my journey with you. I also would like to thank everyone in advance who will take time out of his or her schedules and daily routines to read about me! THANK YOU!

About Us

Platinum Boy Music was founded in the year 2000 by musician and multi platinum record producer Antwan 'Amadeus' Thompson. The production company has since been able to expand to include the Music 101 College Tour Seminar. Platinum Boy Music is a tightly knit family not only comprised of talented individuals, but a brand focused on providing the world with quality music.

PBM Profile: Amadeus

Antwan 'Amadeus' Thompson is the CEO of Platinum Boy Music. His music catalog includes production credits for over 50 artists, the theme song to ESPN's First Take, Keyshia Cole's BET Reality Show "Family First", ESPN's Sportscenter, Diddy's MTV and VH1 reality shows, EA Sports Fight Night, and Burger King. Amadeus recently served as a panelist on Making His Band and is currently the Music Director/Tour Drummer for Trey Songz.

PBM Profile: Ro Garcia

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Amadeus On Blazetrak

Platinum Boy Music CEO Amadeus is seeking for Songwriters, Producers, and Web Designers to join his musical imprint Platinum Boy Music, Inc. Please note that ALL considerations will ONLY be reviewed through Blazetrak, with a GUARANTEED video response to all of your submissions.